Margaux Williamson was the AGO's second artist-in-residence. Throughout the duration of her eight weeks in the Anne Lind Studio, Williamson explored, through video and painting, themes of avoidance, conflict, compromise, and the notion of establishing a sense of place.
As part of her residency, Margaux Williamson unveiled a new, ongoing work entitled "How to Act in Real Life". In this public and performative work, Margaux Williamson taught her collaborator, writer Sheila Heti, how to "act" in the real world. Set in the agora of Walker Court, these two person classes were set in a red performance circle in the centre of the space. The public were welcome to watch, listen, sit near, ignore and attempt to interact with both Margaux and Sheila as the lessons unfolded. "How to Act in Real Life" was performed on Wednesday nights between February 29th and March 21st, 2012 at 7pm in Walker Court.
On Saturday March 10th, from 3pm until midnight, Back to the World (also known as Margaux Williamson, The Globe and Mail's Carl Wilson and writer Chris Randle) presented a marathon screening session of "real art on tv". Back to the World transformed the WFLC Education Commons into a lounge complete with comfortable couches and late-night pizza. Visitors were encouraged to bring sleeping bags and pillows their comfort.
Margaux Williamson's residency also included the following programs: Teenager Hamlet - Screening followed by Q+A with Margaux Williamson, The Production Front Presents: I'm a Very Sexy Baby, and Artist in Residence Margaux Williamson presents performance by Tomboyfriend.
A conversation between artist Jayson Musson and the AGO artist-in-residence Margaux Williamson - January 31, 2012
About the Artist
Born in Pittsburgh, but now living in Toronto, Margaux Willliamson has exhibited paintings at Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects in Toronto, at Marvelli Gallery in New York, and at Fette's Gallery in Los Angeles. She premiered her first movie project at the Toronto International Film Festival and a variation on that project, a DVD called Teenager Hamlet, was distributed in Canada in the fall of 2010 and the U.S. in 2011.
Her work has been featured by the National Post, Eye Weekly, The New York Times, the Artfag, Canadian Art magazine, among others. In 2010 Williamson created the blog Movie Is My Favourite Word, and since then helped found, alongside Carl Wilson and Chris Randle, the cultural review site Back to the World. In 2012, Williamson will be contributing movie reviews for The Believer magazine.